Archive for the 'Builders' Category

Even if you are not into Japanese motorcycles, you may be familiar with the Kawasaki KZ 1000. The two main reasons are that they were ridden by California Highway Patrol officers Ponch and Jon of the 1977–1984 TV show CHiPs and 14 of them were used in the 1979 Mad Max movie. With the Giappone […]

Snap Fabrication’s Joe Mielke brings the custom culture charity event of the season back to the Buffalo Chip® CrossRoads to benefit LifeScape of South Dakota. The sixth annual FXR Show & Dyna Mixer is a unique social opportunity to hang out and talk motorcycles with friends while admiring what some consider the best-handling Harley-Davidsons ever […]

The nimble Sportster® remains one of the favorite for ladies looking for an easy and fun ride. A good rear suspension travel, a low comfortable seat and easy-reach handlebars in a small package give them the confidence they need. And when men gift a bike to their significant other, chances are that one of the […]

Started in 1895, the Miami Cycle Manufacturing Company was building bicycles and Motorcycles using names Racycle, and Miami. In 1911, it purchased Merkel wth all production moved to Middletown Ohio. This acquisition gave Miami Cycle Manufacturing the high-end motorcycle model that it needed to be regarded as a premiere manufacturer. The Racycle was the lower […]

Harley-Davidson Confirms LiveWire on Schedule for 2019 Release. An aging primary demographic is forcing the American manufacturer to shift its current marketing and branding strategies in an effort to stay relevant, and profitable. No model better encompasses this change in direction than the upcoming, fully-electric Livewire—which Harley just confirmed is still poised for a debut […]

Recently, I ran a feature called “The Way They Do It In Poland” in reference to the Poznan Motor Show. One of the custom bikes I published was intriguing enough for some of you to request its specs. Info that I got easily from Motographer Horst Roesler who was on location at the Polish event […]

The small Indian Scout cruiser has enjoyed the largest media coverage of any new factory motorcycle launched during these last years. Inevitably, to personalize their new ride, many buyers were tempted to go to the “preppy route” of a theme bike that most of the time has nothing to do with…Indian legacy or even with […]

Attended by more than 3,000 people from around the world, the annual event included appearances by icons of motorcycle racing and design, a stunning display of the rarest, fastest and most beautiful motorcycles in history, an array of artisanal local cuisine. More than 350 bikes on display Four featured classes Arlen Ness Private Collection (not […]

The Fresno Riding Shoe by Roland Sands DesignSD blends the classic look and feel of an old-school skateboard shoe with modern motorcycle functionality and protection. Only the finest quality top grain cowhide is used to construct the upper and the reinforced ankle, toe box and heel cup will keep you protected. A fully waterproof membrane […]

The Harry Geer company from St Louis, Missouri specialized in motors and castings for air ships, then diversified into motorcycles in 1902. Only about 150 units of this 4 hp, 140 lbs Blue Bird model advertised at the time with a speed of 5 to 50 mph. With more than 250 firms assembling these dangerous […]

You nay not like theme bikes but belong to those who are interested by the violent, post apocalyptic world as described in the Mad Max movie (1979), giving rise to three sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981), Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Fury Road (2015). The orginal distopian action Mad Max movie, and all series, got a […]

For ten consecutive years, Cafe Racer Magazine has staged the country’s only outdoor, ride-in custom motorcycle show for 21st Century cafe racer enthusiasts. This year marks the 11th staging at Sewickley’s War Memorial park located 12 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh. The Saturday, August 11 event will attract the nation’s top custom speedbike builders showcasing motorcycles […]

Indian Motorcycle announced the three finalists for The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build Off, a custom motorcycle competition that spotlights amateurs who build bikes purely for the love of turning a wrench. Following a two-week fan vote, the three highest vote getters include a mechanical engineer for NASA (Alfredo Juarez), an OSHA safety inspector (PJ Grakauskas) […]

Harley-Davidson offers signs of stabilization of a business that has been struggling globally. Revenue from motorcycles and related products rose 2.7 percent to $1.36 billion in the first quarter ended April 1, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $1.23 billion. Harley, which commands about half of the U.S. big-bike market, has seen its U.S. market […]

Ride into Milwaukee on Labor Day Weekend for what is supposed to be the Motorcycle Party of the Year. Milwaukee will be the center of the motorcycle universe over Labor Day weekend when Harley-Davidson riders and fans gather for the culmination of a year-long celebration of 115 years of riding freedom and the city’s most-iconic […]

The V Series from Moto Guzzi, the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production, has inspired a lot of custom builders seduced by its successive models mixing tradition and modernism. This 2011 by Venier Customs features hand made aluminum bodywork. Tank has been elongated and reshaped, and the tail section completely redone with a new […]

With the resurgence of the Cafe Racer, some builders, rightly, try to make its shape evolve in many in different directions. First, contrary to what you may think, the platform used for this project is not a lightweigt Indian Scout but an Indian Chief Vintage. This lean Cafe Racer by German accessories company Detlev Louis […]

Between 1949 and 1957, F.B. Mondial dominated the Motorcycle World Championship. With four championships in that span, This Mondial was ridden by Cecil Sandford to the 250cc World Championship in 1957, winning six rounds including the Isle of Mann TT. Once one of the most advanced motorcycles on the planet, this Mondial has an important […]

The Minnesota company started a recall yesterday Thursday of about 3300 motorcycles from the 2018 model year. Documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say corrosion in the switch can cause an electrical short. That can start the engine if the key fob is nearby. The agency says if the engine starts unintentionally […]

Student loan debt has been hindering millennials for years; now it’s causing harm to the motorcycle industry. According to MarketWatch, the motorcycle industry has been increasingly struggling due to millennials’ disinterest in purchasing motorcycles in light of financial burdens. Over the past year, Harley-Davidson Inc. has been dropping in stock by as much as 29%. […]

Each year a group of inspired bike builders create fantastical yet functional works of art as unique as the personalities behind them. The new Peterson exhibit pays tribute to 25 of creative bike builders and their mesmerizing machines. “This is the first-ever hand-built [motorcycle] exhibition in a museum, and we’re very proud of that,” said […]

Vietnam veteran, Character Actor And Spokesperson Of Victory Motorcycles R. Lee “Gunny” Ermey Has Died. R. Lee Ermey, a former Marine who made a career in Hollywood playing hard-nosed military men like Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket”, and known by bikers for doing promotion work for Victory Motorcycles,, has died.from pneumonia-related […]

After the excesses of the 90’s, 00’s and the 2008 recession, many Harley riders had to rethink about what they expect from a custom motorcycle. For an official Harley dealer, top of the game is now to prepare modern machines with an old school flair. The platform of this 51 -to celebrate the 51th anniversary […]

Conceived by EMD and named Pro-KL, this new line of covers has an evident hot-rod inspiration. These Rocker Boxes (Ribbed and Shovel) and Cam Cover for Milwaukee 8 are proposed in 4 finishes: raw, black, semi polished et black cut. Offered in California by the Speed Merchant or everywhere by the large catalog distributors. EMD (Esteve […]